The saintess is pregnant, what does that have to do with me, a spoiled brat?

The true face of capitalists!

Indeed, this is true of most businessmen, regardless of the era.

Seeing that Xu Nuo remained silent, Qian Dafu assumed he was afraid, and the fat on his face jiggled smugly.

"Hand over the formula, and I might spare your life. Otherwise, you'll never see the sun rise tomorrow."

Xu Nuo leaned against the haystack, shifted to a more comfortable position, and gently tapped her knees with her folding fan.

"You're not getting the formula," he said calmly. "But I can guarantee you'll be begging me to leave this place later. Do you believe me?"

"Hahaha!"

Qian Dafu seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world and burst into unrestrained laughter.

He pointed at Xu Nuo, tears welling up in his eyes as he laughed:

"Please? Are you out of your mind?"

"Form, torture him! Beat him half to death first, let's see how long he can keep his mouth shut!"

The captain, with his fierce face, didn't move.

He subconsciously covered his swollen cheek, his back teeth throbbing with pain.

That slap on the street just now was incredibly powerful. This kid is definitely a hidden martial arts expert.

If we really push them too far in this cell, they'll fight like cornered beasts, and we might not be able to control them.

"Cousin, wait a minute." The captain lowered his voice and whispered in Qian Dafu's ear.

"This guy is skilled; he might not be easy to deal with. If we really fight him head-on, it wouldn't be worth it if we hurt one of our brothers."

Qian Dafu frowned: "Then what do we do? Just stand by and watch?"

"What's the rush?" The captain sneered, his eyes fixed on Xu Nuo with venom.

"Once he's in this jail, there are plenty of ways to deal with him. Why not lock him up for a few days without food or water, and wait until he's completely crippled before we make our move?"

Qian Dafu thought it made sense.

Even the toughest bones will soften if you starve yourself for a few days.

"Okay, let's do it according to the form." Qian Dafu turned his head and looked down at Xu Nuo.

"Kid, I'll give you some time to think it over. If you behave yourself, maybe I'll spare your life!"

Xu Nuo closed her eyes and didn't even glance at him.

Seeing Xu Nuo's unyielding attitude, Qian Dafu laughed in exasperation.

"Pretend! Let's see how long you can keep up this act!"

"Wait a few days, I'll see if you're still as tough as you are now!"

Qian Dafu made some sarcastic remarks, but seeing that Xu Nuo still ignored him, he felt bored.

He snorted coldly and turned away.

The captain glared fiercely at Xu Nuo, then turned and left.

The footsteps faded into the distance, and the prison cell returned to deathly silence.

The sound of chains came from the cell next door.

"Oh, with such delicate skin, how did you get in?" A disheveled old man sized up Xu Nuo.

Xu Nuo leaned against the haystack, unfolding his folding fan: "I beat a dog."

"Beating a dog will land you in the imperial prison?" The one-eyed burly man opposite sneered. "Kid, you've offended someone you shouldn't have."

The burly man sighed:

"Take my advice, that Captain Liu is no good. If you fall into his hands, you'll be lucky to escape with your life. You might as well beg and submit, and maybe you'll at least have a whole corpse left."

"Give in?" A sinister laugh came from the corner.

A thin prisoner gloated:

"What's the point of begging once he's in the imperial prison! That kid was so arrogant just now, he won't live past tonight!"

"Exactly, with such delicate skin, once she's tortured, she probably won't even be able to scream."

Laughter filled the cell, mixed with coughs and the clanging of chains.

Xu Nuo ignored them.

……

……

Imperial edict office, side room.

Several plates of snacks and a pot of fine wine were laid out on the table.

Captain Liu picked up his wine glass, clinked it with Qian Dafu's, and downed it in one gulp.

"Thank you so much for the form." Qian Dafu smiled broadly and stuffed a piece of beef into his mouth.

"Once that kid can't hold on any longer, and we get the formula, I'll definitely treat you well, little brother."

Captain Liu covered his still slightly swollen cheek and snorted coldly.

"Once you enter my imperial court, even a person made of iron will have to go through a lot. By then, forget about the recipe, you'll have to call him 'Grandpa'."

The two were feeling quite pleased with themselves.

The door was pushed open from the outside.

Just as Captain Liu was about to lash out, he saw who it was and was so frightened that he almost dropped the wine cup in his hand.

"S-Sir!"

The newcomer was dressed in a scarlet official robe; he was none other than Zhao Kang, the Prefect of the Capital.

Qian Dafu also quickly stood up, his face beaming with smiles as he bowed with his hands clasped in greeting:

"This humble subject greets Your Excellency, Prefect."

Zhao Kang walked in with a sullen face.

He glanced at the food and wine on the table, then looked at Qian Dafu, his expression not very pleasant.

He knew perfectly well what those two had been up to behind the scenes.

However, the amount of silver that Captain Liu paid as tribute each month was not small.

If the water is too clear, there will be no fish. As long as he doesn't cause a major mess, he won't bother with it.

"My lord, why have you come in person?" Captain Liu quickly pulled out a chair and wiped his face with his sleeve.

"Please have a seat, let me pour you a drink."

Zhao Kang waved his hand and did not sit down.

He stared at Captain Liu, his tone slightly somber: "I heard you led men to the outer city to arrest someone today? Quite a commotion, wasn't it?"

Captain Liu was taken aback.

Is that all?

"Yes, sir, that's right," Captain Liu quickly explained.

"He's just a reckless merchant who made people sick with the food he sold. I've brought him back for questioning as per procedure."

Zhao Kang frowned slightly: "Have you investigated this person's background?"

Captain Liu patted his chest and assured him, "He's just a greenhorn from out of town who runs a run-down shop in the outer city. He has no power, no influence, and no backing."

Hearing this, Zhao Kang nodded.

No background is required.

He turned his head, his gaze falling on Qian Dafu, his tone carrying a hint of admonition.

"Lieutenant Liu, I've come today specifically to remind you."

Zhao Kang stood with his hands behind his back and said coldly:

"The higher-ups are cracking down hard lately, and all departments are watching. You'd better keep quiet about what you're doing and avoid causing trouble, do you hear me?"

Captain Liu nodded repeatedly, bowing and saying:

"Rest assured, sir, I am prudent in my actions and will never cause you any trouble."

Just as the Prefect finished reprimanding Captain Liu, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the door.

boom!

The door to the side room was suddenly kicked open.

A government official scout stumbled in, his face pale and covered in sweat.

"My lord, something terrible has happened! A group of people have arrived outside, saying they are looking for you!"

Captain Liu was holding a wine cup when he was startled by the sudden shout, causing his hand to tremble and spill wine all over his crotch.

He flew into a rage and slammed his fist on the table.

"Damn it, if you're looking for me, just say so! What the hell are you panicking for? Who's here? Is it the emperor again?"

The constable swallowed hard, his legs trembling, and stammered:

"People are coming...people from the Duke's mansion, people from the Ministry of Works, and...people from the royal family!"

What?!

The moment those words were spoken, the air in the room seemed to freeze.

Captain Liu's face stiffened abruptly, and the wine glass in his hand fell to the ground with a crash, shattering into pieces.

Qian Dafu, who was standing to the side, was so frightened that he trembled all over, and the walnut in his hand rolled directly under the table.

The Duke's Mansion? The Ministry of Works? The Imperial Family?

He recognizes all three words, so why can't he understand them when they're put together?

Even the prefect sitting in the main seat was dumbfounded.

He turned his head sharply and stared intently at Captain Liu.

Didn't you fucking say you didn't cause any trouble?

Captain Liu felt a chill run down his spine from being stared at, and cold sweat broke out all over him.

"Sir, there... there must be some misunderstanding!"

Captain Liu stammered, "Let's go check it out first, just in case it's something else?"

The prefect snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves, and strode out.

Captain Liu and Qian Dafu hurriedly followed, and the group rushed towards the gate of the Imperial Edict Office.

……

Outside the main gate of the Imperial Edict Office.

Wang Fugui, with his large pregnant belly and a gloomy face, stood at the front.

Beside him stood Lin Hu, the commander of the Duke's mansion's guards, clad in armor and exuding a murderous aura.

Further to the side were two royal guards with swords at their waists and expressionless faces.

Lin Hu had naturally received the notification from Xu Nuo's servants and immediately mustered his troops to attack.

Wang Pangzi and Li Wanning soon received news that their shop had been vandalized and that Xu Nuo had been arrested.

Without saying a word, Fatty Wang led his men and charged over.

Although it was inconvenient for Li Wanning to appear in person, he directly sent his personal bodyguard over.

The two had remarkably similar thoughts when they heard the news.

Oh shit!

A business that makes tens of thousands of taels a day, I just joined the business, and you dare to cut off my source of income?

court death!

then.

The three top powers representing the military, civil officials, and the royal family of Dali were blatantly blocking the entrance to the Imperial Edict Office.